Last Friday, Duane Browne was fatally shot by NYPD Officer Kevin Murtha. It was during an incredibly chaotic and jumbled series of events.

As far as anyone can tell, the sequence of events was that Browne’s half brother, Dale Ogarro, was being robbed by two armed thugs outside of their Brooklyn, NY brownstone apartment. After seeing this, Browne rushed out with a .38-caliber pistol. The facts of why the police were already there are unclear but when Browne came out brandishing the weapon, Officer Murtha yelled out “Freeze! Freeze! Drop your weapon!” This according to authorities at the NYPD. When Browne did not slow down or drop his gun, Murtha fired one shot which hit Browne in the chest. It was later discovered that the gun was an unregistered weapon.

After he was shot and the evidence of an unregistered weapon surfaced, the apartment was searched. $1,000 in cash, a scale, and five pounds of pot were found in the apartment that the two brothers shared. They both have long arrest records related to drugs.

This shooting is exactly one month removed from the fatal shooting of a Detective of the same Brooklyn, NY 75th precinct. It also happened during a calamitous and equally confusing scuffle having to do with a marijuana robbery.

While overall crime in Brooklyn is down nearly 10 percent from the same period last year, the number of auto thefts increased nearly 22 percent.

According to the latest CompStat reports released yesterday by the NYPD, the number of crimes reported in the borough were down compared to the same one-week period last year – 687 major crimes were reported during the period from November 9 through November 15; 764 major crimes were reported in the same one week period last year.

The overall decrease in crime offsets an increase in auto thefts during the past week.  The NYPD reported that 94 vehicles were reported stolen in Brooklyn, compared to 74 during the same one week period last year.  In Brooklyn South, 53 auto thefts were reported, compared to 43 last year; there were 41 reports of Auto Theft in Brooklyn North, compared to 31 last year.

The most notable increases in auto thefts occured in the 63rd (3 last week compared to none during the same period last year), 64th (4 last week, up from 1), 70th (7 last week, up from 4), and 81st (3 last week, up from 1) precincts.

The number of felony assaults increased slightly; 110 such incidents were reported last week compared to 107 during the same one week period last year.

The number of burglary, robbery, and grand larceny (theft) complaints saw double digit decreases.  Burglaries decreased 22.7 percent (133, down from 172), robberies decreased 15.4 percent (143, down from 169), and grand larceny complaints decreased 14.5 percent (196, down from 229).

The number of homicides reported decreased from 2 reported borough-wide during the past week, compared to 4 reported during the same period last year.  The homicides were reported in the 73rd and 79th precincts.

Fewer rapes were reported in Brooklyn North (5, down from 7), however, Brooklyn South reported two more rapes compared to last year (4, up from 2).

Even with the increase in auto thefts, major felony crimes have decreased 12.2 percent overall year-to-date in Brooklyn compared to the first 46 weeks of 2008.

The NYPD and members of City Council are asking for the public’s assistance in searching for subjects involved in what is being described as a “hate crime” assault in the borough two months ago.

Officers from the 83rd Precinct recieved a report from a hispanic male that he had been assaulted while riding his bike along Broadway between Marcy Avenue, Williamsburg and Lafayette Avenue, Bushwick, between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on September 23.

The victim told police that 3-to-4 black males assaulted him with a blunt instrument, and that the perps had directed anti-Hispanic statements during the attack.  Police were not able to obtain a further description of the subjects.

The offices of Councilwoman Diana Reyna (D-Bushwick), Councilwoman Rosie Mendez (D-Lower Manhattan), Council President Christine Quinn (D), and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez issued a joint statement condemning the attack:

“In the City of New York, hate incidents like these will not be tolerated.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, text “577TIP” to CRIMES, or log on to NYPDCrimestoppers.com.

The NYPD is searching for two men wanted for separate sexual assault incidents in Brooklyn.  One of the two men is accused of two separate rapes in the borough – one in May, the other last month.

The first attack occured in the 67th Precinct at Church Avenue and East 37th Street, East Flatbush, on May 21, when he allegedly raped a 20 year old woman.  The most recent assault occured on October 20 in the 69th Precinct, when the perp allegedly raped a 14 year old girl in the area of East 105th Street and Avenue N, Canarsie.

The suspect in the East Flatbush and Canarsie rapes is described as a dark complected black male between 25 and 35 years of age, standing approximately 5 foot, 8 inches to 5 foot, 11 inches tall, and weighs approximately 220 to 250 pounds.

In a separate incident, detectives in the 94th Precinct are searching for a second perp wanted for a separate incident that also occured on October 20.

94th Precinct officers responded to the area of Diamond Street and Nassau Avenue, Greenpoint, at around 4:30 a.m. for a report of a rape.  The 25 year old woman was allegedly pushed into a vestibule and assaulted.

She described her attacker as a hispanic male in his 20′s, standing approximately 5 foot, 8 inches to 5 foot, 9 inches tall, weighing around 185 pounds.  The perp was wearing blue jeans and a dark colored t-shirt at the time of the attack.

Anyone with information regarding these two subjects is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS; tipsters can also text “577TIP” and their respective information to CRIMES, or log onto the NYPD Crime Stoppers web site.  All information will be kept confidential.

Crime continues to decline in the borough, as last week’s CompStat report released by the NYPD demonstrates.

Three murders were reported in the borough last week, compared to two last year.  Homicides were reported in the 67^th, 73^rd, and 90^th Precincts last week.

The number of homicides for 2009, however, has increased slightly; 180 murders have been reported in Brooklyn this year – 98 in the north end of the borough and 82 in the south end – compared to 177 during the same period last year (98 in the north end, 79 in the south end).

Detectives in Brooklyn North were also kept busy, with five reported rapes last week, compared only two reported rapes in the same period last year.  The reverse was the case in Brooklyn South, where one rape was reported last week, compared to five during the same period last year.

Rapes were reported to detectives in the 67^th, 73^rd, 75^th, 77^th and 79^th Precincts; two rapes were reported in the 75^th.

Overall, rapes were down across the borough, with 286 reported so far this year (157 North; 129 South) compared to 307 last year (167 North; 140 South).

Auto theft reports remained steady, with 70 reported last week, compared to the same number during the same period last year.  Last year, 44 such incidents were investigated in Brooklyn South and 26 in Brooklyn North; this past week, 50 were reported in Brooklyn South, 20 in Brooklyn North.

The NYPD also reported decreases in other major felony reports, including fewer robberies (122 last week, 176 during the same period last year), felony assaults (100 last week, 115 during the same period last year), burglaries (137 last week, 154 during the same period last year), and grand larcenies (178 last week, 206 during the same period last year).

A detailed breakdown of crime statistics by precinct, borough, and city-wide is available at the NYPD web site.

BROWNSVILLE - Fire fighters make quick work of a working fire of a vacant structure earlier this afternoon.

At around 12:38 p.m., the FDNY was dispatched to 1674 East New York Avenue for a report of a fire in a two story vacant residence on box #77-75-3930.  Upon arrival, crews conducted a search of the property, which showed no residents at the location.  The fire was quickly knocked down and placed under control.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation…

BUSHWICK - A man is in custody this evening after allegedly stabbing another person earlier this evening.

Officers from the 83rd Precinct responded to the area of Cooper Street between Broadway and Bushwick Avenue at around 5:30 pm this evening for a report of a stabbing.  Witnesses reported that a black male wearing a beige jacket had stabbed his victim an unknown number of times.  The suspect fled on foot, however was apprehended a short time later near the scene.

The condition of the victim is not known at this time.  The suspect is expected to be charged with assault and related offenses pending the investigation.

NYPD Aviation was requested to the scene, however, the perp was apprehended before the helicopter arrived in the area…

GRAVESEND - The NYPD has scheduled a public forum Thursday evening regarding a street closing near a NYCTA subway yard.

The forum is in regards to a street closing in the area of the Coney Island Yard on West 13th Street near Shore Parkway.  The street closing is being requested for what is desecribed as security reasons.

The forum will be held at the NYPD Police Service Area #1 station house, located at 2860 West 23rd Street, Coney Island (between Neptune Avenue and Mermaid Avenue) on Thursday between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  The station house is accessible via the B74/Mermaid Avenue bus which can be caught at the Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue subway station from the (D), (F), (N), and (Q) or B64/86th Street-Bath Avenue bus.

EAST FLATBUSH – A 36 year old man faces charges after allegedly attacking a fellow motorist over a parking space.

Officers from the 67th Precinct responded to the intersection of Linden Blvd. and Utica Ave. at around 11:30 p.m. on October 29 for a report of a dispute of a parking space.  One of the drivers, identified as Hance Layne, allegedly struck his victim in the head with a tire jack.  The victim, identified only as a 38 year old male, was knocked to the ground, suffering only minor lacerations.

Layne reportedly fled the scene in his car.  The victim, however, was able to give officers the license plate number of Layne’s vehicle.  Layne was taken into custody on Sunday; he faces charges of Assault, Menacing, and Weapon Possession…

CANARSIE – One man is in custody after an attempted burglary in Canarsie.

Officers from the 69th Precinct responded to the area of East 93rd Street and Avenue L for a report of a residential burglary.  One perp was taken into custody; a second suspect reportedly fled in a white van with Florida license plates.  An NYPD Avaition unit is in the area searching for the vehicle.

Additional concerns regarding the at-large suspect involve two nearby public schools – Canarsie High School and PS 115.  The immediate impact on those two schools are not immediately known.

No further details regarding the burglary are available as of this writing.  Anyone in Canarsie who may have spotted the white van in question should call the 69th Precinct Detective Squad at (718) 257-6306.

(First in an occasional series highlighting the most wanted criminals in Brooklyn; information taken from the NYPD Crime Stoppers web site)

A man wanted in connection with a Downtown bank robbery last month has been classified as the “most wanted” bank robber in New York by the NYPD.

Detectives from the 84th Precinct are investigating a robbery that occured at the Chase Bank at DeKalb Avenue and Fleet Street on October 26 at around 3:45 p.m.  The suspect approached the teller with a demand note and recieved an unknown amount of U.S. currency before fleeing the bank on foot.

The suspect is described as a black male between 25 and 30 years old, standing approximately 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs approxmately 250 pounds, and sported a beard at the time of the robbery.  He was wearing a blue Mets baseball cap, a blue hooded jacket, a black shirt and black pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, text “TIP577″ with your information to “CRIMES” (274637), or submit your information online.  All information will be kept confidential.

One of the NYPD’s most wanted fugitives – the man dubbed the “Red Sox Robber” accused of mugging straphangers in Brooklyn and other boroughs – was arrested last night in North Carolina.

Rasheem Williams, 37, and two other fugitives wanted by the NYPD were arrested over the weekend after a tip led investigators from the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Police Department and the U.S. Marshall’s Service to a residence on the 800 block of Sunset Avenue, Rocky Mount.

Williams had been accused of two June muggings at two Brooklyn subway stations among the 15 he had been accused of committing.  The incidents primarily occured in Manhattan and The Bronx, however at least one also occured in Queens.

The first incident occured on June 8 at around 7:25 p.m., when Williams allegedly approached a woman on a Manhattan-bound #3 train at the Bergen Street station, Park Slope.  In that incident, he brandished a knife and fled with an unknown amount of U.S. currency.

On June 23 at around 1:45 p.m., Williams allegedly approached a woman on a Brooklyn-bound #2 train at the Church Avenue station, Flatbush.  As was the case in the Park Slope mugging, Williams brandished a knife and demanded money from the woman.  He then fled with the victim’s property at the Beverly Road station.

Williams was tagged as the “Red Sox Bandit” by the tabloids after one photo during the search showed him wearing a Red Sox baseball cap.

Williams, who has 18 prior arrests and has also served eight years upstate for a prior robbery conviction, was taken into custody along with two other men – Jamal Williams, who was also identified as one of the NYPD’s most wanted, and Michael Lewis, who was wanted on parole violations.  No further information is known about the other two fugitives.

It’s also not known why Williams fled to North Carolina.  Anyone who has ever watched the A&E television series “Manhunters” – a show that profiles the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force – may recall an episode where a fugitive from the New York area was subsequently apprehended in North Carolina.  For some reason, the Carolinas would seem to be a very popular destination for fugitives fleeing the area (maybe it’s the lower taxes down there, who knows?).

In any event, it’s probably safe to say that this member of Red Sox Nation will have a new home in a matter of weeks, pending extradition back to New York – a nice little spot we like to call Rikers Island.